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The Quest for the Black Chimaera part 3: The Road to The Warden
Part 1 The grand city of Leva Adium looked small in the distance behind them as the group pushed Northeast towards Warden's Gate. The fields of Gildor stretched out at either side of the caravan displaying small pockets of green in the vast white blanket of snow. Sinthaster road at the companies head and led them with pride but he gazed down the long road with a slight twitch of anxiety. At the end of this road, where the Gazing Mountains met Thaingail, rested the White gate; a massive wall of Man's creation, an impassable fortress and the long-standing defender of Lancerus. Beyond it the cursed, frozen lands of Rhivic stretched as far as the eye could see and each step would take them closer to peril beyond reckoning. His will was shaken and he feared the saftey of his company but stood strong, "I am a son of Húrin and pledged defender of Judgment; I will not fail again." Sinthaster spoke to himself, looking beyond the mountains at his destiny. "Saying a prayer for your comrades Sin?" Ela had ridden up behind him as he was lost in thought. Startled he focused his demeanor back to that of the proud leader. "A prayer never hurt anyone my dear Ela. Húrin blesses the woodland folk as well, do not fear your past Judgement." She scowled as she came to his side, "Your God's can keep their judgement and their mercy; we will need more than prayers to see this journey's end." Ela did not varnish her opinion well. Sinthaster made a face like a disciplined pup but quickly recovered with a proud grin. "It seems I shall need enough faith for the both of us." He smiled and steered his horse closer to hers, "We will all need each other to make it through the frozen wastes." She smiled but steered a little away from him, "Indeed we will, however, I am not entirely certain I trust the whole of our company." She cast a glance backwards toward the others. "The Dwarf and Valley man do not relay much trust." Sin snickered and retorted quickly, "That Dwarf is a very old, trusted friend and his expertise is invaluable on this quest. Not to mention his folk are stout of heart and we will need that strength in the cold." He looked to her and she seemed reassured but not much. "What about the wild man? He is a drunk, dumb, loud savage." "Oh Ela." Sin laughed again steering closer to her, "He is much more than a savage! Have you even talked with the man? That head holds more intelligence than you give him credit for." "SIn!" Nex shouted from the rear of the caravan. He had turned around in his saddle and let his legs dangle off the back of the horse who had been tied to the back of Belkar's wagon, "I found a way to pee without us having to stop." His words slurred in a sloppy mess. Ela raised an eye brow and shot Sin with a very doubtful look. Sin looked forward trying to ignore Nex's comment, "Well, he is really good with a blade; sober or drunk." Ela looked back to Vira who road alone between her and Belkar's Wagon. She stared at Vira looking for her to backup her doubts but the Half-elf simply lifted her arm to reveal a small scar upon her forearm; a gift from Nex upon their first meeting. Ela scowled again then looked forward. "I am waiting to see it for myself." Sin laughed but received a hard punch to the shoulder for it as the duo rode farther from the group. Nex fastened his belt and spun back around in his saddle, which held a mass of bottles on one side and his sword Malek'Reth on the other. The force of the spin disoriented him a little and he struggled to fight off a quick bout of stomach nausea. He burped a few small burps but regained his composure. "Ah-ha! Close call!" He laughed and took another drink from his wine-skin. Belkar could not escape the man's laughing and joking to himself which did nothing to improve his opinion of Nex. Throughout Nex's merriment a small hare had hopped along next to him; his drunken gazing finally brought his eyes to the animal. "Hail Citizen!" Nex pulled a bottle from the saddle, forgetting he still had his wine-skin, "Care t'share...a drink my furrah friend?" He swayed dangerously in the seat. The hare continued hopping along next to him as he dropped a little wine down, missing the creature but getting it all over his pant leg. He laughed again even louder, "Dooo not worry m'fair hare...I am juss savin' it for later." He took another drink, longer this time, until he had drained its contents then tossed the bottle into the air behind him. It smashed on the cold ground which startled Belkar whose loud Dwarven curse in-turn startled Vira. Ela and Sin continued to talk farther up the path. "Watch that filthy, dirt born cursin' in the...the...company of'ma new animal friend." Nex had not fought in some time and did not much care for Dwarf folk; a combination for conflict to be sure. Belkar slunked back down into his seat and muttered to himself, "Talk back to me....littl' shite..." Nex had already forgotten about the Dwarf and continued his talk with the hare. "...I tell you that is the last time I go to Opal Shore...the man, no not man, that giant musta' stood three men high..." The hare quickly turned from the path as the caravan moved up a hill. "Wait! You need to hear about the giant!" Nex leaned far over and fell from his saddle sending him rolling down the hill. Belkar saw but gave no notice to the others and Vira was preoccupied braiding the mane of her horse. Ela took notice as Nex rolled farther down the hill. She tapped Sin on the shoulder who was in the middle of a story, "Should we go after him?" Ela spoke pointing towards Nex. Sin looked back just in time to see him disappear into the brush at the hills base. "...No he should be fine," Sin looked back to Nex's horse; Malek'Reth still bound at its side. "He will find us." The party continued on at a steady pace and reached the top of the hill quickly. Sinthaster broke conversation from Ela and the two halted as they looked upon the city of Baskerberg in the distance. The many rings of the city were undefined amid the towering stacks of homes and the unique stench of the city reached them even there upon the hill. Vira was the first to speak: "Ah...I think I will ride ahead to Warden's Gate-" She was cut off quickly by Ela. "We are simply passing through to tend the horses, no need to stay longer than needed be. Right Sin?" The two Elves looked to Sin but before he could speak Belkar chimed in. "What's the matter fair skin? Afraid to get mud on'ya boots?" The dwarf chuckled as he whipped his reigns, Vira eyed him angrily as he rode his wagon passed her, "I think we could all use a drink too." He shot a grin to Sinthaster who smiled back in agreement and proceeded to ride next to the dwarf. "One drink seems appropriate, perhaps they will have a nice Westhome mead." "Ah my boy. When this wild trip is over I shall treat you to a grand Absinthe of Halia Mortes..." Ela and Vira looked on at the men then to each other. Vira's expression was still one of heavy protest of the city but Ela was less offended by mud and muck. With a cheeky smile she kicked her pony and trotted after the others. Vira waited atop the hill and watched as the company proceeded towards the city. "Just remember: At the end of it all you will be rich." She breathed with a sign and kicked off after the others. --- Nex ran after the hare which seemed to grow faster each passing second. "Wait...huff huff..." Nex yelled as he tripped and tumbled to the ground in a splash of white powder. He brushed the snow from his eyes to see the hare standing front of him. It spun and skipped lightly behind a tree but instead of hare popping out the other side it was woman. Her body was draped in intertwined blue robes underneath a long red cloak; she pulled the hood down to reveal her bright blonde hair, tied in many elaborate braids around a jeweled tiara. She eyed him with piercing gold eyes and smiled. "Off on another wild chase my Champion?" She flowed to his side and extended her hand. Nex accepted the lift and she effortlessly pulled him to his feet. "Tis never a wild chase when Luck is on my side, my Lady." She giggled as she brushed the snow from his shoulders. "Such confidence. How can you be so sure Luck is on your side?" She produced a small bottle, wrapped in a leather pouch, "Fortune favors many, Nex son of Toka." She extended the bottle to him as she turned to lean against a nearby tree. He drank the mixture and felt his foggy, drunken head clear almost in an instant, replaced with feeling of comfort and awareness. "Because who else but I is privy to such godly gifts." He smiled wide and puffed his chest out like preening bird. Tira giggled again as Nex began to shiver; his drunken warmth has been replace with a staggering awareness of the cold. She moved to him and unclasped the cloak from her neck, "I know what you need to stay warm." She placed her hands upon his chest. "My Lady I-" She shushed him with a finger to his lips then grabbed the cloak and spun it around to cover his shoulders. "Another 'Godly' gift. Stay warm out there my Champion." She walked back to her tree and paused, "Luck will always be with you but Nostotavas is an evil place; be careful Nex and do come back in one piece." She moved behind the tree and out the other side came a hare. She stared for a moment before taking off and vanishing in the thicket. Nex looked on speechless and after a few moments he laughed to himself and turned back for the road. He wondered the long walk to town why it was he who could be so lucky and yet so cursed. --- Ela walked from the bar to a table the group occupied in the center of the tavern; doing her best to keep the drinks from getting knocked by one of the many Gildorian's running about. The taverns occupants varied from proper noblemen to gruff iron miners with a few soldiers and questionable merchants thrown in the mix. Overall the air of the tavern was light and hospitable. Vira was furiously lecturing Sinthaster and Belkar but quietly enough to not draw attention. "How can you not know what it does!?" She yelled at Sinthaster in her loudest whisper. "And you!" She shifted to Belkar, "An ''artifact expert ''you claim to be, yet you also have no clue what it does?" Ela sat down and passed out the drinks. "Vira it is not that we do not know," Sinthaster responded calmly, "There are still many unanswered question about the Forsaken relics of the Black War." He looked to Belkar, who was deep in thought, his scarred face wrinkled heavily under his contemplation. Sin kicked him under the table, "Right Belkar?" He jumped from his thoughts back into the conversation, "Oh aye! We are on this quest to answer those questions. An' I wouldn' say I have no idea, more like I have many ideas. A relic as such as this has a hundre' tales surrounding it but only one, or none, can be true." Vira was not impressed and Ela could see it. She jumped in to the conversation, "But how can we expect to secure an item that we do not understand?" The group paused to digest the full weight of the question. It was true than none of the company really knew much about the Black Chimaera. It was said to be the Battle Horn of a powerful Forsaken general who used it's might to rouse their troops and lay waste to the armies of human and elf kind alike; the stout folk held a natural resistance to the horn as it is said they had, in some way, lent a hand in its creation. The horn itself is said to embody the spirit of the Lion, the Goat, and the Dragon, with each lending a different trait to the horns power. "We shall proceed with the utmost caution but we will proceed." Sinthaster declared, "Any who feel they are unable or unwilling to go on may leave this company and make for home." He looked over the faces of his companions, "First, leave the 400 Sovereigns the Darkmoon have paid you for your service." Vira shifted her pose to a more relaxed state and looked to Ela. Their exchanged glances conveyed the same thing; they would continue on. Belkar had returned to his thoughts and wracked his brain for any glimmer of information he had tucked away long ago. "Alright then, it is settled. We will press on as soon as Nex arrives. Until then everyone keep the talk of the Chimaera to a minimum; we cannot have our mission tracked by those unfriendly to our cause." He scanned the bar from behind his cup as he drank. "Agreed." Said Ela who was already very wary of anyone but Vira. Just then the tavern door burst open and Nex came strolling in. He immediately found his friends in the room and shouted from the door, "Come on now ya lazy scags! That Black Chimaera wont get found sitting drunk in a tavern!" He pushed back outside as the whole of the tavern looked to Sin and company. The company looked to Sinthaster with questionable expressions. Sinthaster finished the rest of his drink and stood up. "Trust me." He looked to the door then back at them, "He is really good with a sword." Then he turned and walked from the tavern. The rest of the company quickly finished their drinks and followed in toe as the murmurs of the tavern grew about this mysterious band of adventurers. Previous Chapter The Quest for the Black Chimaera part 2: ComradesCategory:Character lore